Safety-lock for swing-wringers



G. F. FREED AND 1. N. SPENCER.

SAFETY LOCK FOR SWING WRINGERS.

APPLICATION HLED APR.12, 1919.

1,346,816. Patented July 20, 1920.

6 f. my -r INVENTOFI UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. FREED,OF BEN AVON, AND JOHN R. SPENCER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA. ASSIGNORS T0 PITTSBURGH GAGE & SUPPLY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-LOCK POR SWING-WRINGERS.

' Application filed April 12.

T 0 aZZ whomit may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. FREBD, a resident of-Ben Avon, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and JOHN R. SPENCER, a resident of Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety-Locks for SwinglVringers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to power driven washing machines having a.wringer attached and driven by the same motor.

The object of the invention is to provide a'lock to prevent accidental swinging out of normal operative position of the wringer attached to the washing machine. Another object is to furnish a lock for the purposes above stated, which may be readily7 disengaged to permit swinging adjustment of the wringer, and which is simple inconstruction, positive in action, and economi.-

cal in manufacture.

In power driven washing machines for household use it is customary to mount a wringer on the washing machine frame and to drive it by a shaft from the motor used to drive the machine itself. This arrangement is described-in Patent No. 1,217,540, to F. IV. Tappat Such a`construction`,

`with our invention applied thereto, is illustrated 'in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figurev 1 is a partial elevation of the washing machine and wringer attached; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the wringer driving mech` anism; Fig. 3 is alperspective view of a bracket forl supporting the wringer; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking device; and Fig. 5 is an underplan and partial section showing the gear casing of thewringer attachment.

vashing machines of the type referred to comprise a body or tub 1, supported bya frame 2. An agitator or drum inside the tub 1, is driven by suitable gears (not shown) incased in a housing 3 and connected to a prime mover, such as an electric motor (not shown) a Shaft 4, inclosed by a circular casing 5 and driven from the main drivingl shaft, extends vertically to a casing 6, and carries a terminal beveled gear 7, inside that casing. Beveled gear wheels 8 and 9 are idly mounted on a horizontal shaft 10, which extends to anddrives the rolls 11 of Specification of Letters Patent.

iin alternate directions.

Patented July 2o, 1920.

1919. serial No. 289,621.'

the wringer. A two-faced clutch 12, splinedon the'shaft 10, is adapted to be thrown into engagement with one or the other of the" gear wheels .8 and 9 by means of a hand lever 13 to drive the rolls of the wringer The gear casing 6 carries an extension 14, on the outer end of which is carried' the frame 15 of the wringer. sists of a cylindrical extension 16, partially inclosed by and seating on the upper end of the casing 5. A bracket arm 17 is fastened to'the upper part of the frame of the washing machine, and this bracket clamps the casing 5 by means of a clamping -joint 18, havingl ears 19 clamped together by bolt 20, in the usual manner of such'- joints. v

A s will be obvious, when the shaft 4 and gear 7 'are driven, say counter-clockwise, and the clutch 12 is in engagement with'the gear wheel 9, there will lbe a-.tendency to.

vturn the entire casing 6, and the wringer TheV lower end of casing6 con-'- swinging in a horizontal plane, may strike the machine operator a severe blow. It is to avoid this not infrequent occurrence thatthe present invention yis designed.

The particular locking device shown comprises a sleeve 22, adapted to it loosely around the upper end of circular casing 5. The bottom of this sleeve seats on the top of bracket 17, z'. e., about the upper periphery of clamping joint 18. One or more teeth 23 are provided on the under edge of the sleeve 22, and interfitting coperating teeth 24 on the upper side of the clamp '18. Both setsof teeth are inclined on one side and perpendicular o n the other, so as to provide an interfitting varrangement which absolutely locks the sleeve 22 against counter-clockwise rotation, but permits clockwise rotation by the beveled faces of teeth 23 riding over the beveled faces of teeth 24.1

Y the underside A plurality of slots 25 are provided in the upper edge of the sleeve, and these slots are adapted to engage depending flanges 26 on o f gear casing 6, as shown in Figs. l, 4 and 5. These slots are cut deeply enough to permit the sleeve 22 to rise and disengage the two sets. of ratchet teeth. When this is done and the clamp 18 loosened, the wringer and casing 6 may be swung around to any desired position, and then the locking sleeve is released, rengaging the two sets of teeth and holding the wringer in adjusted position. Consequently the position of the wringer over the tub may be readily adjusted, and the wringer locked in that position against the torque incident to driving the wringer rolls.

The simplicity of this device will be apparent. Machines of this class are usually operated by women, who have no great knowledge of mechanisms, and in such cases it is desirable to have devices not requiring adjustment, and automatic in their operation.- This device provides an absolutely safe means for locking the wringer against swinging around and striking the operator, and at the same time permits ready adjust- .ment of the position thereof.

We claim:

l. In combination with a frame, a vertical driven shaft mounted thereon, a wringer frame mounted on said vertical shaft to swing in a horizontal plane therearound, coperating gears connecting the vertical shaft and wringer rolls, and locking means arranged to automatically lock the wringer -frame to the main frame against swinging movement in the direction of the torque imparted to the wringer. frame by the driving gear but allowing a swinging movement in lthe opposite direction.

2. In combination with a frame, a vertical driven shaft mounted thereon, a wringer frame pivotally mounted on said vertical shaft .to swing in a horizontal plane therearound, coperatingv gears connecting the vertical shaft and wringer rolls, a locking member fixedV to the main frame, and a cooperating locking member vertically mov.- ably connected to the 'wringer frame, said locking members being provided with oppositely facing inclined teeth, thereby automatically locking the wringerframeagainst swinging movement in one direction and permitting swinging movement in the opposite direction. y

3. In combination, a. frame, a vertical driven shaft mounted thereon, a wringer 'frame pivotally mounted on said lvertical `shaft to swing in a horizontal plane therearound, coperating gears connecting .the vertical shaft and wringer rolls, alocking member fixed tothe main frame, and a locking member vertically movably and nonrotatably attached to the wringer frame,l both locking members surrounding the vertical shaft and being provided with cooperating inter-engaging projections and notches.

In testimony whereofiwe ,have hereunto set our hands.

GEORGE F. FREED. JOHN R. SPENCER. n Witnesses:

OsoAR B. TUEsoHER, F. E. GOLDENBERG. 

